Response to the Wall Street Journal

Dear Friends,

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article critical on some comments that I made on CNN and at the same time made some derogatory and personal attacks. Both I and my son, Gotham Chopra, responded and Wall Street Journal has agreed to publish our responses this Friday. In the meanwhile, we are posting our responses in our entirety here on the Huffington Post. Here is mine:

To the Editors,

I think it does a disservice to the Wall Street Journal's integrity to run personal attacks of the kind directed against me by Dorothy Rabinowitz. Since your newspaper whole-heartedly cheered on the disastrous war in Iraq, I can understand why you continue to mount a rear guard action in defense of the Bush administration's approach to militant Islam.

That approach involves unilateral militant aggression without the slightest care for the effect being made on the vast majority of peaceful Muslims. Now that the right wing can no longer continue this discredited policy overtly, Ms. Rabinowitz and her ilk have adopted a fall-back position. Attack anyone who suggests a new way.

I stand by my remarks and have full confidence that the Obama administration will adopt a "root cause" approach of the kind I endorsed. The very thing Ms. Rabinowitz derides is our best hope for peace.

Deepak Chopra

Look for my son's response here on Huffington Post or on Intent.com

Comments

[Thomas777]

" I stand by my remarks and have full confidence that the Obama administration will adopt a "root cause" approach of the kind I endorsed. "

Yes, this is precisely why I, and many millions of others, voted for him. We felt confident he would.

[Erdgeist]

Professor Pape, in his book _Dying to Win_, with a great deal of evidence, has shown that its root cause is a reaction against a military presence claimed by the insurgents. Religion, in other words, is not the primary cause of terrorism. 9/11, for example, was not Islam v. Christendom -- it was probably blow-back from the American military presence in Saudi Arabia.

Next, take the matter of Palestine. Every time there is an Israeli incursion, a legion of young men and women present themselves to be used as Shahids. This isn't an issue of Judaism v. Islam but of Israel occupying lands its has no right to -- at least in the eyes of the Palestinian people.

Likewise, there is a territorial struggle going on between India and Pakistan. Pakistan has long argued that Kashmir should have become part of Pakistan in 1947. Because of this, there have been two wars between Pakistan and India (1947-8 and in 1965).

Turning to America's global war on terrorism, it certainly is a stupid war if it ignores Professor Pape's research. And it may well be the fact -- which Americans find it hard to deal with -- people do fight over territory which they believe it is theirs and will, in some cases, strap bombs to their bodies to kill the occupiers.

[empyrius]

Dr. Chopra should be POTUS!

Peace

[SadButWiser]

Sir, thank you for the reply.

Most people with common sense agree with you. It is mind boggling to see that no one addresses the root or the cause of this mess that we are in. Just because the actions of the terrorists are not justifiable under any circumstances, this does not mean that we should not stop those in power to discuss the why, and not just the how. Sadly, the why has been ignored for far too long. Let's hope the new administration of President-Elect does pay attention and address this.

[vjthedj]

That is the great response. Unfortunately the republican response as always been "my way or the highway".

[MouthFountain]

Support Iraq, or not? Not. Thank you. I have already unsubscribed from the Journal.